Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are critical for national progress because they accelerate economic growth and jobs creation, Mr Ron Strikker, the Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, has said.

He reaffirmed the Royal Kingdom of The Netherlands’ commitment to supporting entrepreneurship as a key driver of growth and socioeconomic development in Ghana.

Mr Strikker said this at the “The Growing Business Together (GBT) Start-up Investor Conference”, in Accra.

The conference, which was on the theme: “Are you ready for my money?” sought to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to secure investments and equip audience with information on the alternative funding streams available to entrepreneurs.

It was organised by MBC Africa in collaboration with the Royal Kingdom of The Netherlands Embassy, in Ghana, and Truvalu Start-ups.

Mr Strikker said the Dutch Embassy was supporting the GBT Start-up Investor programme as part of efforts to create jobs in Ghana.

He said all over the world it was SMEs which created jobs and not governments.

For the “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda to be achieved, he said, the Government must be able to generate enough resources to take care of the needs of the people.

He, however, noted that employment would never be generated from extra oil or gas; saying that entrepreneurship played an important role in job creation.

Madam Tenemba Anna Samake, the Chief Executive Officer, MBC Africa, said the GBT Programme was a start-up accelerator designed for SMEs, and it included mentorship and business development training that would help entrepreneurs to implement good principles, practices and procedures for business growth and sustainability.

Mr George Ducan, Programme Manager, GBT, lauded the Dutch Embassy for initiating the original idea of the GBT programme some five years ago.

He said the Programme had two components: one for supporting young Ghanaians in the Diaspora with ideas to return home to start their own businesses; whilst the second component was for supporting start-up businesses of local young entrepreneurs. GNA